Debate jeopardy

Congressman Mark Green will go into his first statewide television appearance tonight with some pretty big numbers floating around out there about him. So let's play a little game of Jeopardy so everyone has the numbers straight before the debate.

$1 billion - What is the total cost of Congressman Mark Green sticking to his campaign pledges so far? It's only September and according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Congressman Green has promised to take our state at least $1 billion into the red. That number doesn't even include two parts of his plan that will cost millions more, but Congressman Green has this pesky little habit of making his "plans" so vague that no one can figure out what they will do or cost. Including Congressman Green.

$10 Trillion - What is the debt ceiling that Congressman Green has voted to take our nation to after years of Republican budget mismanagement? That's right, you're grandchildren will still be paying for Congressman Green's budget mismanagement long after he is gone.

33 percent - What is the increase in federal spending that Congressman Green has voted for in the last four budget cycles? Count the minutes it takes Congressman Green tonight to say he will fiscally responsible and reduce spending. You won't get to the 33 that matches the increases he has voted for as a Congressman.

Four days - What is the number of days that Congressman Green has refused to even talk to the state's largest newspaper about his budget record and plans? By all means, keep ignoring the state's largest newspaper. If there is something that reporters love more than anything, it's being ignored. They never take it out on the candidates that ignore them. Just ask Scott McCallum.

$467,844 - What is the dollar amount of PAC money that Green has in his campaign account that needs to be returned the day after the debate because it against the state law that says money spent on Wisconsin campaigns must come from PACs registered in Wisconsin? It's a law folks, not a rule made up by the Elections Board. And Congressman Green's defense of "that's what everyone else was doing" has been tried before. Maybe you remember it. It was called the Scott Jensen trial. The rules of politics change all the time. They change when the collective will decides that it's time to start enforcing the rules in place.

Round two will come with the second debate...